Pot of Gold
by Shadow over Egypt
Summary: Luck' had never favoured Mai, illfortune dogging her throughout her life. And yet just once...she hopes otherwise. And the magpies wait, and watch. 'MVxDD, oneshot'


**Shadow:**For round five of Compy's contest. Flippantshipping – Duke x Mai. This is the first time I've really written either of the two in any depth... Aside from that – hm. I don't have all that much to say. (trots off)

* * *

**Pot of Gold**

The metal nail-file gleamed under the café's florescent lights, shimmering patterns glimmering across the ceiling as it moved back and forth, smoothing a jagged edge into a perfectly manicured curve. 

Mai Valentine took pride in her appearance. She was a woman used to attention, used to attracting looks and stares wherever she went, whispers following in her wake. She had the looks; she had the intelligence, and she had the general ruthlessness that made her a formidable foe to anyone who crossed her. Luckily that day, she wasn't looking for an enemy. Rather, she was waiting for a friend…_hm. _Friend._ Ambiguous term._

The steam drifting off her coffee curled into the air before her, dragging Mai's attention away from her thoughts and back to reality. Tucking her nail-file back into the bag perched neatly beside the foot of her chair Mai un-crossed her legs, lifting the coffee to her lips for a long sip. _Ambrosia… _

The magpies outside watched her. There was a row of them, perched on the building opposite, staring in through the café's clear window at her with their beady eyes. They were beautiful, glossy birds, their black and white feathers gleaming in the last light of evening slowly fading to night. Since she'd arrived they'd been watching her – Mai could only assume they'd be hanging around till she left. What _else _did magpies have to do at night, anyway?

…Why was she even thinking about birds…? Mai sighed, putting her mug back down on the table in front of her with a quiet _thunk. _She'd been thinking too much lately, perhaps. Ever since Battle City there had been this nagging – 

Some could say she thought too much now. Mai crushed them, moved on, and thought about it later. Regretted it occasionally. In the beginning, not long after that damned tournament was over, she'd cried. But only ever when it was dark, when no-one could see her. And then she'd got up, put her make-up on, and once more everything was fine.

She didn't quite know why she was back in Domino. This was a troubled town, a place with bad memories, and yet… First day back, she'd caught sight of Yugi Mouto, and the people who always accompanied him. Joey; Teá; Tristan. The inner circle. And that odd golden Puzzle hanging around Yugi's neck that seemed to be at the circle's heart –

Enough of that. If the one she'd arranged to meet with wasn't there in _five minutes – _she'd never known another male to be so melodramatic. So concerned with his appearance. He was probably off mooning over himself in some mirror somewhere, convincing himself the world loved him and in truth he really couldn't be _that _for off –

The outer fringes of the group had been with Yugi that day. That shy boy…the white-haired one. Ryou, they said his name was? Serenity, Joey's sweet kid sister. Tristan had been bickering with his rival over her, and that rival had been…_Duke._

A magpie cawed outside the window, drawing a baleful glance from one of Mai's violet eyes. A single croak. "One for sorrow…" _Hm…_definitely _not a good day then… _Her song, the magpie song, taught to her as a young girl, not past ten…

A string of a thousand and one meaningless incidents, the fates laughing at her all day as they plagued her with neon signposts that said she shouldn't be there. Were the magpies venture number one thousand and two?

…Not that it mattered. As far as Mai was concerned the fates could go hang themselves. Man – or woman, as the case may be – made their way through life alone, their own abilities and skill keeping them afloat in life's tossing seas. Once upon a time Mai had believed in superstition, believed in luck, but that had been –

_Step on a crack, break your mother's back. _

Mai could still remember when she'd been young and had stormed down many pavements such as the ones everywhere around Domino, viciously stomping on every crack, blonde curls bouncing about her face. Her parents had never been ones for affection. They'd left her alone so often, for so long… A nanny had brought her up, some prissy woman so scared of her supposed demons she followed every superstitious advice ever told her religiously.

_Black cats are bad luck, yet if one crosses your path, you'll have good luck all day long. _Mai snorted. That had confused her as a child, it was such a contradiction. How could something be both good _and _bad…?

Another croak from outside, somewhat louder than the last. The magpie next to the first croaker had decided to rearrange himself, upsetting birds further along the row. _Two for joy… Three for a girl, four for a _boy –

Dammit, why was she waiting here anyway? He wasn't going to come, that was obvious now. He was such a – such a – _oh, for the love of God, _he was such a –

_"Mai!" _A set of eyes – jade, almond-shaped, cat-green and gorgeous – beautifully outlined with black, a wonderful contrast to pale(ish) skin. A boy who knew how to use makeup.

Mai found herself smiling, jolting to her feet before the other could reach her and taking the hand extended, shaking it and yanking the other down into the seat opposite. "You took your sweet time getting here, didn't you?" Her tone was more fondly exasperated than anything else. "Doing your hair?"

Duke Devlin raised an eyebrow at her, mildly amused. "Hey, my hair is quite important to me, I'll have you know."

"Believe me, I _know." _Mai laughed at the indignant look shot her way, raising her hand to signal a waitress over their way. "Coffee?"

"Please…"

_Five for silver, six for gold... _

"…Doesn't that unnerve you?" Duke's voice.

"Hm?" Mai glanced up from where she'd been subtly studying her companion's bracelet, distracted. "What?" Their coffees had long since arrived. Mai had sipped hers originally, then got fed-up – the mug was sitting cooling on the tabletop. Duke appeared to have nearly finished his.

The male nodded a head out the window – the magpies? "Those."

Mai followed his gaze. The magpies. She shrugged, picked her drink up to hide her uncertainty, drank some, winced. It was cold. "They've been there for awhile now." It was nearly dark now – the birds were little more than blobs on the roof's edge. "Don't mind them…"

"If you say so…" Duke looked doubtful.

Mai teased. "Superstitious?"

Solemn cat-eyes, hair as black as a raven's wing. "Yes." _Black cats are bad luck… _

Mai's amusement died a quick death. Duke _was _a little superstitious still – he had a little Roma in him he'd confessed once, some drop in his bloodline that gave him his gypsy looks –

_"The wanderer in me." _He' smiled as he said it, ever the ladies' man, and her heart had given that unexpected little flutter –

Someone had once mentioned Duke liked blondes. That had confused Mai for awhile – Serenity was brunette, and Duke was constantly fighting with Tristan over _her – _but then…Duke liked competition, arguing for the sake of arguing. And sweet-talking Serenity meant constantly bumping into that girl's older _brother – _Mai had laughed a little, when she'd drawn that connection. _Not all lines are perfectly straight. _And Joey was cute in his rough, boyish way. But…she hadn't come back to Domino for Joey.

_Seven for a secret never to be told. _

If she could reach out, snatch the dice from the earring in Duke's ear and add another one, what could she roll? The outcome would be luck, surely, unless she rigged the die, but there was no possible way –

It would be total luck. Flukery. An agreeable set of circumstances. But then…Mai had never been very lucky –

A roll of the dice – double-six, extra turn, and the wanderer turned his attentions away from the blushing brunette Serenity, shifting jade eyes to her.

…It was why Mai had abandoned luck in the first place. Good luck, bad luck, Mai was ill-favoured. The gods hated her, fate hated her, and my wasn't déjà vu a bitch because _honestly,_ she'd been through all this before in her head and her heart, and she still got absolutely _nowhere _except right back where she'd started.

A stray lock of hair dangled in front of Duke's cheek and impulsively Mai leaned over to brush it back, aware of how the other looked at her. It was black. Black as darkness, black as night.

_Black cats are bad luck, but if a black cat should cross you're path you'll have good luck all day long… _

Duke was no kitten!! He was…he was -

Another roll of the dice – snake eyes. Duke was back, gushing over Serenity, Joey ranting in his ear. Lucky Joey. Lucky Serenity. The Wheelers were a lucky family. Duke liked them and –

Duke was _infuriating. Damn _the boy!!

_Eight for a wish, _

Mai was so confused. Sighing, she withdrew her head, propping her head up with it on the table. Outside it was dark, so dark, the café bright and warm. In the darkness she could feel the magpies waiting, silent, watching. Unlucky birds. Thieves. Her nanny had used to chase them away…

"Mai?" Duke sounded concerned. "Are you alright?" He reached out, taking her free hand in his, skin smooth. The young woman in front of him had been the one to arrange their meeting that day – he'd been surprised when Mai had called him up out of the blue, announcing she was back in Domino, but it had been a pleasant surprise –

The black-haired youth leaned forwards, worried, trying to see Mai's face. He couldn't help but feel -

_And nine for a kiss. _

Mai raised her head suddenly, catching him unawares, lunging forward slightly to press her lips to Duke's for a swift, stolen kiss. It was rushed and clumsy, and Duke's eyes flew wide in surprise. Still, he allowed the contact, holding Mai's arms with his hands to stop the female overbalancing over the table and smashing the mugs there on the ground below.

Seconds. Minutes. _Hours. _

Embarrassed, Mai suddenly pulled away, bending down to fuss with her bag in an effort to hide her flaming cheeks. "…Sorry." She'd never-

Her reflection looked back at her from the café's window, the world outside pitch-dark. She looked flustered, humiliated, her cheeks pink, her curls askew.

_Ten for a bird you must not miss. _

Duke waited for her, patiently. He was silent, quiet as the invisible magpies that lurked in the darkness outside, watching her. Would their eyes never go away? Let fate fly away with them, those prophesiers of ill-fortune, and may the sun shine on her _just this once – _

_Black cats are bad luck… _Luck didn't favour Mai; it never had. Why did she even bother to dream…?

"Mai." Duke finally voiced something – her name. His tone was as patient as he looked – did he need to see her mortification so badly as to call for her attention?

"Yes?" Steeling herself, Mai looked up.

_Roll the dice and take a chance… _

Cat-green eyes, jade, almond-shaped. Solemn. Roma. Gypsy. Raven. Magpie. Thief of hearts…

Ten birds, arranged in a row outside. And then three. Thirteen. What did thirteen stand for? Watching her, watching Duke, plotting her downfall. Thirteen. _Damn the fates. _Thirteen. They never did as she wished them. Thirteen.

_Unlucky for some. _

"Mai -" Thirteen, and luck was against her surely, and the magpies sat outside cawing; she could hear them echoing from inside the café. Duke looked disturbed.

Thirteen magpies sitting in a row. Thirteen. Her magpie song didn't go _up _to thirteen…

What did thirteen stand for? Mai looked at Duke, at the other's vaguely consternated expression, and hoped. The dice were thrown, and they hung in mid-air -

"Mai-"

The magpies outside waited their cast.


End file.
